Multi-purpose controls are often implemented for making selections from and/or activating-deactivating program functions via a cursor-driven display. Techniques such as floating “tool tips”, “comments” and/or “hover text” are currently implemented, for instance, in desktop software environments, for providing hints to a user regarding the function of a highlighted multi-purpose control. Such techniques are intended to promote efficient operation of/user interaction with the cursor-driven display by providing hints as to what a multi-purpose control will do when the control is utilized/activated, prior to the user actually utilizing/activating said control. However, in more complex, stressful environments, where faster decision-making/user interaction with the cursor-driven display may be of paramount importance, such currently-used techniques may not provide an interface as user-intuitive as may be necessary or desirable for the conditions. Consequently, this may promote confusion for users in that the users may not be as clear as they need to be (or may not be made aware as quickly as they need to be) as to what will happen when specific multi-purpose controls are utilized or activated. For example, a user of a flight deck (i.e., cockpit) system display, such as a pilot, may have difficulty quickly recognizing or recalling what functions will occur upon utilization or manipulation of one or more multi-purpose controls, especially when said pilot is under stress associated with abnormal flight conditions.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system and method for providing a visual indicator which indicates functions of multi-purpose controls in a current cursor location context, such as in a cursor-driven display environment, that addresses the problems associated with current solutions.